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Use of Multiple Social Services Among Chronically Offending Youth

NCJ Number
206443
Author(s)
Pat Jobes
Date Published
August 2004
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This report reviews research pertinent to the links between chronic criminal offenders and their multiple contacts with social service agencies, with a focus on Australia.
Abstract
Such research is important for many reasons, including the implication of a "revolving door" of less-than-optimal responses by social service agencies to the multiple needs of such offenders. Factors identified as related to chronic offending are age; gender; minority status; intelligence; mental illness, personality, and temperament; drug use; and family and community dysfunction. Other issues addressed in this paper pertain to relevant theory, initiatives for reducing chronic offending and the linked drain upon social service agencies, the costs of offending and the provision of services, and areas that require future research. This report concludes that although researchers agree that chronic offenders in Australia are more likely to be male, Indigenous people, and drug and alcohol abusers, there is limited data on the degree to which chronic offenders draw upon social services. The data essential for answering many of the most pressing theoretical, empirical, and policy-related questions concerning chronic offending and multiple-service users are to be found in records systematically collected by service agencies. Analysis of these data would be fruitful for future criminological research. This paper poses research questions related to offenders, practitioners, and policy. 72 references

Sponsoring Agency
Australian Research Council
Address

GPO Box 2702, Canberra ACT, 2601 Australia, Australia

Sale Source
Australian Research Council
Address

GPO Box 2702, Canberra ACT, 2601 Australia, Australia

Publication Format
Document (Online)
Publication Type
Literature Review
Language
English
Country
Australia
Note
Downloaded August 9, 2004.